1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a system and apparatus for feeding and solubilizing a solid biological starter material, and for aerating, growing and dispensing aqueous mixtures of select vegetative bacterial strains for various end use applications. Such end use applications can include, for example, digestion and removal of grease from food processing or restaurant drains, grease traps, grease interceptors and sewers, and bio-remediation of other amenable wastes and waste streams. The system and apparatus of the invention preferably comprise some disposable components, principally for convenience and to reduce the time required to clean and maintain the device.
2. Related Art
Biological growth and dispensing systems with various feeder devices have previously been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,081,361 and 6,335,191, and in the prior art referenced in those patents, and in pending published U.S. Patent Application No. 20090130740.
Some devices previously disclosed for use in feeding tableted, prilled, pelletized, granular or powdered bacterial starter materials have encountered difficulties with bridging or jamming. Similarly, some devices previously disclosed for use in solubilizing solid starter materials in an aqueous or other liquid medium have required the use of a pump driven by an electric motor for mixing, transferring or dispensing the liquid medium. Other previously disclosed devices have required time-consuming and costly periodic cleaning to alleviate flow path blockages attributable to bacterial growth inside flow lines.
A need therefore exists for a compact and relatively inexpensive system and apparatus that can reliably feed, solubilize, transfer and dispense functionally effective amounts of solubilized and/or slurried vegetative biological material for smaller volume applications by gravity flow without requiring a pump. Such system and apparatus will desirably comprise some disposable components and will reduce or eliminate the need for periodic manual cleaning and associated downtime and expense associated with time-consuming maintenance intervals.